Nestled into the heart of Ireland’s Midlands, County Longford basks in unspoiled natural beauty with lakelands, bogland, pastureland and wetlands.
This quiet and understated county is famed for its fishing, gentle countryside, quiet pace of life, and heritage attractions.
Make sure to head for Ardagh, a wonderful village built in the 1860s; the intriguing and beautiful Belvedere House and Gardens; and the incredible Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre, which tells the spectacular history of the Old Bog Road, an Iron-Age road uncovered in a bog at Corlea.
County Longford is situated in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands surrounded by water with the River Shannon, Lough Ree and the Royal Canal running from Richmond Harbour in Clondra to Spencer Dock in Dublin.
Longford is ideally located in the heart of Ireland, within easy reach of many stunning and historic tourist attractions. Ancestral home of the Farrell Clan, Longford is a tranquil and mainly low-lying county, renowned for its angling, boating and outdoor sporting activities. Steeped in ancient Irish mythology, the county has many impressive archaeological sites as well as a wealth of historical, literary and musical tradition. The true beauty of County Longford lies in its rural charm, the hospitality of its people and the breath-taking views of its quiet countryside of farmland, woodland, lakes, rivers and bogs
Make a break for it in Irelands hidden heartlands. Explore & enjoy County Longford. Discover the lakes, the royal canal & the River Shannon for boating or angling. Be active in nature & relish the walking & cycling trails in the Woodland, bogland and along the water’s edge.
By Plane
Dublin Aiport is just 90 minutes drive from Longford offering direct flights from over 100 destinations around Europe, the USA and Middle East. Ireland West Airport Knock is just over 1 hour drive has services to many international destinations. Shannon Airport and Belfast Airport offer scheduled flights to and from the UK, mainland Europe and USA out of Shannon.
By Boat
The most accessible ports of entry for Leitrim would be Dublin Port or Belfast. Both ports offer daily services between Ireland-UK and services to France and Northern Spain. Brittany Ferries operates a service between Cork-Roscoff (France). The following companies offer ferry services into Ireland – Stena Line, Irish Ferries, P&O Ferries, Kintyre Express, and Isle of Man Steam Packet
By Bus
Bus Éireann provide services to County Longford from Dublin, Sligo, Galway, and other counties
By Train
Irish Rail operates trains from Connolly Station stopping in Longford on the Sligo route.
Knights & Conquests Heritage Centre
The Knights & Conquests Heritage Centre is located in the picturesque town of Granard, County Longford. You will then begin your journey through the Anglo-Norman history beginning with an immersive introductory movie introducing you to their links to Granard. Children (or adults!) also have the option to dress up in Norman clothes and receive their Norman name and duties for their visit. Along your journey you will come face to face with famous characters of the period including Henry II, King Rory O’Connor and Pope Adrian IV. Your journey ends with a 500-year leap in history to Kitty Kiernan’s Drawing Room dedicated to one of Granard’s most-famous residents. Find out more about Granard’s history in the 1798 Rebellion and Kitty’s place in the War of Independence through her relationship with her fiance Michael Collins. Your visit will end with a beautiful and poignant audio-visual illustration from Kitty herself of life in Granard in the 1920’s, the Civil War and her love for Michael.
Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre
See an ancient Iron Age trackway, or togher, at Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre. Learn about the importance of the structure and look at a section of the original trackway. The increasing depth of mossy, waterlogged ground made movement from place to place difficult for people living in bog areas in days gone by.
At Corlea, wooden causeways were laid across the growing bog in 148 BC. The bog has undergone conservation work to keep it wet so that you get the true experience of what life and work were really like in boglands of ancient Ireland. An 18m-long section of the original trackway, the largest of its kind ever excavated in Europe, is on display in the visitor centre. Murals depicting people from the past decorate the centre, so you can get a true feeling for how they lived through displays of tools and objects from the Iron Age.
Royal Canal Greenway
One of the biggest towns along the Royal Canal Greenway is Longford Town. The section between Cloonbreany and Mosstown Harbour, of the Royal Canal Greenway in County Longford, passes alongside Corlea Bog which includes the Corlea Trackway, an ancient trackway dating back to 148BC. A short diversion off the greenway will lead you to the visitor centre.
At Cloonsheerin Junction, the Royal Canal Greenway splits in two, giving a choice of where to end the journey; one spur leads to Longford Town and the other to picturesque Richmond Harbour in Cloondara.
The Maria Edgeworth Visitor Centre
The Maria Edgeworth Visitor Centre in Edgeworthstown is in one of Ireland’s oldest national school buildings that opened in 1841. It pays homage to the celebrated 18th century novelist Maria Edgeworth, a notable pioneer of literature, a feminist and social commentator of her time. Explore the life and work of Maria Edgeworth and her family and discover where the story of Ireland’s national school system began. Using a combination of audio, visual and interactive displays in seven languages, you will learn about a progressive thinking family and how they played a major role in the establishment of the Irish national school system
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